Why Just Another Letter In The Alphabet
by SparkELee
Summary: Set after S3, E3. He's proud of her? Why? Why does she care that he's proud? HCam. REVAMPED ALL CHAPS! GO BACK AND REREAD!
1. What Happens in the Chapel

Set after Informed Consent. No spoilers that I'm aware of. I don't own these characters.

Why… Just Another Letter in the Alphabet

Chapter 1: What Happens in the Chapel…

_He's proud of me…? I killed a man and he's proud of me? Why?_ The feel of his thumb tracing light circles on her shoulder, the way he was gripping her. _It would have been just as hard on him…_ "Leave it to the atheist to try to find penance in a hospital chapel." He said dryly, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

"Yeah well there's a first time for everything…" She muttered, unable to keep the sadness out of her voice.

_This woman, the picture of righteousness and morality, killed a man this morning. Why? _"Why'd you do it?" He asked softly, nudging her to move over. She obliged.

"I… I took an oath. To help people. Normally that means curing them… But, death was his cure… And I'm supposed to do what's in the patient's best interest." She replied quietly.

"You were morally against 24 hours ago." He reminded her. His tone wasn't accusing nor harsh. It was quiet, understated, very un-House-like.

"I still am. But he was miserable House. He was suffering, he was in pain… I wouldn't wish that on anyone…" She told him, her own voice full of pain and misery.

"Now you're miserable." It wasn't a question. It was a statement. A true one.

"I'll be fine." She replied. And it was true. In time, she would get over the fact that she'd killed a man.

"At least you're honest. And you _will_ be fine, with time. But right now, Allison, you aren't fine." He said, his voice a tad bit stronger this time.

She nodded, her hands in her lap. She didn't really have a response for that, mostly because he was right.

"I know it doesn't seem like it now, but you'll be a better doctor for it. And a stronger person. It was what was best for him. And sometimes, what's best isn't always what's right." He finished. Until this point, they'd merely been sitting next to each other, a small but respectful distance between their bodies. Now, he rested his hand on her leg briefly.

House didn't reach out much. Cameron knew that. And she knew her boss well enough to know that what happened in the chapel stayed in the chapel. Once she set foot back in the conference room, she'd be just another duckling, another person to take shots at. But that didn't matter. Right here, right now, she was Allison Cameron, he was Greg House. They were two people who were sharing a pew, having a serious conversation and sharing a moment.

"Would you have done it?" She asked, bringing her wide blue eyes up to his.

He didn't hesitate. "Yes." He replied, his hands balanced on top of his cane now.

She nodded, turning to face the front of the chapel.

_I can't sit here anymore… She's killing me with the silence and the pain… It feels too real…_

"OK then. Take a few minutes to collect yourself and if you need to go home, you can. Otherwise, I'll see you upstairs." He said, breaking her trance. He stood, preparing to leave the pew but was stopped by a hand on his wrist.

"Thank you." She whispered. He said nothing, just nodded. With that, he strode out of the chapel, leaving her to her silence.

He was bombarded by questions about Dr. Powell the second he hit the glass doors.

"Foreman. I wasn't here. I know nothing about it. How many times do you need to here it before it sinks in?" He snapped.

The young doctor was used to his boss's angry comments, so he just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of me.

"The nurse clearly indicated he was fine at 2 am this morning. At 2:30 he was dead and you know nothing about it?" The young neurologist demanded.

House cocked an eyebrow at him. "I'm a healer, not a murderer." He snarked sarcastically.

Just then, Cameron pushed through the double doors.

_Good girl Cameron. You're one step closer to getting past the emotional baggage._ He'd be lying if he said he wasn't happy she was there.

"Well someone injected him with morphine… And you did it once already, why not do it again?" Chase asked, nodding his greeting to Cameron.

House sighed. They weren't going to let it go… _ I can't believe I'm about to do this…_ "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. It's irrelevant now. He's in his 'happy place' remember? Where he wants to be. Death was his cure…. It was what was in his best interest." House said at last, his eyes briefly flicking to meet Cameron's. He'd used her words, used her explanation, in effect, he'd used his voice to give her reason.

_Those are my… Oh God, he's going to take the heat for this!!? I can't let him do this!_ Cameron opened her mouth to speak, but a brief shake of the head from House stopped her.

"You did do it." Foreman accused, sitting up straight in his chair.

"You don't know that for sure. It could have been anyone, hell it could've been you! But that's beside the point. What matters is that the patient got what he wanted. No one's getting blamed now lets move on." He snarked, turning his back and stalking to his office.

"Can you believe him? Killed a patient… Way to follow the oath." Foreman breathed as he turned to face his colleagues.

Cameron said nothing, just watched the mystery that was her boss as he sat down at his computer, put his feet up, flicked his iPod on and closed his eyes.

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	2. No One's THAT Good

Why…. Just Another Letter in the Alphabet

Chapter 2: No One's _That_ Good

The Rolling Stones were finishing the last track on their greatest hits concert when House felt a presence. He cracked an eye. Wilson.

He pulled an ear bud out and regarded his friend with suspicious eyes. "What?" He asked as Wilson sat down.

"You did a nice thing for somebody. Unbelievable." Wilson said, his voice laced with a little awe.

"I'm not a grinch." House defended, shooting the man a dirty look.

"I wasn't so sure of that until now. Taking the blame for Ezra Powell's death… That's huge…" Wilson said.

"I didn't take the blame. I merely removed the blame from the guilty party." He corrected, fiddling with the songs on his iPod.

"The guilty party wasn't just anyone… It was Cameron." Wilson pointed out.

House sighed. "Is there a point to this conversation or do you just like stating the obvious?" House asked, his voice tinged with annoyance.

"Why?" Wilson pressed.

House shrugged passively. "She couldn't have dealt with the fallout. Losing her job, losing her colleague's respect. She would have tried, because she's in love with me and all, but she wouldn't have been able to handle it. I'm a big tough guy. Besides, technically, I didn't admit to it. I just suggested it, that's all." He finished, his face showing no sign of emotion.

"You could get in trouble." Wilson reminded him unnecessarily.

"She won't fire me. Besides, they have no hard evidence. Their word against mine. I'd win. Cuddy has the hots for me." House said with a lecherous smirk.

Wilson rolled his eyes. It was useless trying to get any real information out of him.

"So, what'd she have to say? Obviously she came crying to you, telling you how upset she was that she killed someone and then let me take the blame?" House asked, his voice slightly mocking.

"No actually. I went to her. I knew you didn't do it because I saw you last night. Foreman wouldn't do it, Chase, well, Chase may have seen a bunch of other doctors do it but I don't think he cared enough to do it. Cameron seemed like the likely choice. After all, she watched her husband die a long, slow painful death from cancer. I could see her having the moral dilemma, but I know she couldn't have stood by and watched another person in that much pain, suffer. Plus, she was the only one on call ast night, so my bet was on her from the beginning." Wilson finished.

House was having a hard time admitting that he felt a little twinge of guilt. He hadn't thought about her dead husband when all this was going on. Truth be told, he didn't think about him much at all. It bothered him to think about her dead husband. He couldn't wrap his mind around her marrying a man she knew was terminal. People just weren't _that _good.

"So I told her I knew she'd done it. All she said was you took the blame for it. Then she walked away." Wilson continued, but not without noting House's foray into whatever daydream he had Cameron starring in.

"Just know… If they investigate this… They're going to see that she was here last night. She's the only one without a plausible excuse. They'll know it wasn't you." Wilson warned as he left the room.

House sat in silence, contemplating Wilson's words. He didn't want to think the young oncologist was right. Instead, he just decided to go home.

A little over an hour later, he was sitting in front of his piano, talking to Steve.

"Don't look at me like that." He told the rat, taking a sip of his scotch.

The rat prodigy cocked his head to the right.

"Yes, she is pretty. But I didn't do it because I like her. Because I don't. I did it because she needed to get it together. She needed someone to sit next to her and tell her that she did what was best for the patient. And that meant I had to be a little…. Sensitive. That's it." He told the white furred creature.

The rat picked up a piece of bedding and chewed on it.

"Spit that out and go run on your wheel or something. You have no idea what you're talking about." He told the rat and returned to his playing.

As hard as he tried, he couldn't get his earlier actions out of his head. _Why did I try to take the fall?_ He didn't like thinking about that. He didn't like thinking that he did something out of the kindness of his heart. It meant that he was starting to care and that left a bad taste in his mouth.

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	3. Realizations

Why…. Just Another Letter in the Alphabet

Chapter 3: Realizations

As much as it bothered House, he knew Wilson was right. They were going to investigate to some degree. Cameron was going to get questioned. This was going to be messy…

So messy in fact, that he'd lost sleep over it. He'd even gone into work an hour early because he knew he had to do _something._ It bothered him, all of it. Caring…. It was exhausting.

He was debating how to handle the situation when the woman of the hour strode into the adjoining conference room. He allowed his eyes to travel the length of her body, granting himself a voyeuristic moment before realizing he'd have to speak to her. He glanced at the clock. 8:05 am. The others wouldn't be here for awhile. _Good, they don't need to hear my little plan._

She'd just sat down at the small desk in the corner when his unmistakable voice came over the small speakerphone. "Cameron, I need to talk to you in my office." He said quietly and clicked off.

She did what she always did right before she went to see House. She smoothed her hands over her outfit, patted her hair, squared her shoulders and pushed through the double doors leading to his office.

Anytime she stepped into House's office, it felt like a different world, especially when it was just the two of them.

As soon as she entered, he nodded at her and stood up. She watched him with curious eyes as he made his way around the room, shutting all the blinds, darkening the office until the only light was the one on his desk, which he was now returning to.

House sighed heavily as he sat down. "What we're discussing… It's between you and me, I don't need prying eyes." He explained as he settled himself in. She nodded, trusting his judgement. "They're probably going to do an investigation Cameron. They're going to see you were here when he died and I wasn't." He started.

The realization sunk in slowly. She'd been so caught up in what she did that she'd forgotten those pesky little details.

"Did anyone see you do anything?" He asked levelly, keeping his voice calm.

"No, I was… I was by myself. It was so late…" She answered softly, her eyes downcast.

"Good, you're probably right, seeing as anyone who'd have seen you would've taken action." He replied, propping his feet up on the desk, his expression intense and thoughtful.

"What… What am I going to do?" She whispered, still in shock that her world, her career, could cease to exist in the blink of an eye.

"You're going to lie. You aren't taking the fall for this. They wouldn't believe you'd do it anyways. I'll let them think it might be me, but since they won't have proof, eventually they'll have to close the case, blame it on a nurse who used a little bit more morphine than need be, or maybe they'll blame it on him, he's a man of science, he could've gotten a hold of it. Either way, you keep your mouth shut. I'm not losing you over this." He told her, his voice a bit more vehement than he'd meant for it to be.

Apparently, Cameron noticed too. She looked up from her lap to meet his eyes, hoping to find the meaning behind the last 6 words he'd spoken. She saw something in his eyes, hidden deep, as if he didn't want her to see. She barely caught a glimpse of it, and then it was gone.

"I don't want to break up the team. I'll be hard pressed to find another immunologist as qualified as you. Plus, she probably wouldn't be as hot." He quipped, successfully bringing a serious conversation to a light sounding finish.

She stood and started for the door, only to be stopped by his voice again. "Oh and Cameron? I was serious when I said this was between us. Keep it to yourself." He reminded her. Her face burned. Of course he knew she talked to Wilson. She nodded and pushed through the doors back into the conference room.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. No new patients, so Foreman took himself down to neurology in hopes of making himself useful. Chase broke out the crosswords and zoned out on those for a few hours while Cameron took care of paperwork. House was in his office, lights off, the Clash blaring through all available speakers.

"If I have to listen to 'London Calling' one more time…" Chase muttered, not even sparing a glance at the office that was hiding their boss.

Cameron watched Wilson walk by and open the door to House's office. She knew she shouldn't be watching, or staring, since that was what she was doing, but she'd by lying if she said she didn't want to know what was going on behind closed doors.

"The Clash huh? That kind of mood eh?" The oncologist questioned as he approached.

House said nothing, just turned his chair to face the window, propping his feet on the cabinet in front of the bay window, signaling to Wilson that he wasn't interested in having a conversation.

Wilson however, didn't really care what House was or wasn't interested in doing. He sat down across from House, propped his feet up on the diagnostician's desk and pulled out his lunch.

House heard the man settling and rolled his eyes.

"We aren't discussing anything because there is _nothing_ to discuss." House told him, keeping his back to him.

"Sure there is. Maybe we can discuss why Cameron's sitting in the conference room looking at you like you're the last man on earth." Wilson suggested, watching his friend closely to see if he reacted.

It was barely there, a tensing of his shoulders, a brief pause in his cane twirling, his neck muscles stopping him from looking to the left and into the conference room.

"Why would I want to discuss that? She does that every day. Part of the whole 'daddy' complex she's got goin' on. Kinda hot, don't you think?" He snarked.

Wilson sighed. He knew better than to think this would be easy. It's NEVER easy with House.

_Like I'd tell him…_ "Was there anything else you wanted or did you just pop in to show me your mani/pedi?" House questioned, his tone overflowing with sarcasm.

"I'm going. But House… If there is an investigation and you're implicated in anyway…" He trailed off.

"Relax would you? Jeez, you're such a downer. It'll be fine. Go bother Cuddy. Tell her I said her rack looks fab." He called as the man strode out the door.

House turned his head slightly and found himself staring into earnest blue eyes. He arched a brow at her, waiting to see if she'd take the bait. _Smile for me… I know you can…Show me who's boss…_ He waited for the tell tale 'Cameron' grin but was instead shot a look identical to the one he'd shot her.

_Interesting…_He wasn't expecting her to play along, given the situation, but she appeared game.

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	4. Damn The Bad Luck

Thanks for hanging with me guys… Hope you enjoy!

Why… Just Another Letter in the Alphabet

Chapter 4: Damn the Bad Luck

She knew what he expected of her. He was predictably unpredictable, if that made any sense. She knew he expected her to back down, smile and pretend like everything was ok. But if he wanted to challenge her, if he wanted to see if she'd push back, then she'd surprise him. She held his gaze.

After a moment, he looked away and focused on his computer, leaving her slightly confused. She had expected him to make a face or something stupid like that. Sighing to herself, she turned back to her computer, only to see her AIM blinking at her. She glanced at the clock. None of her friends every IM'ed her this time of day. She clicked on it.

_GHMD: Not nice to stare._

_ACam: Wasn't staring. Just observing._

_GHMD: Whatever. Stop staring. We have important things to discuss and I hate talking on this stupid thing._

_ACam: Then why are you?_

_(pause for 15 seconds)_

_GHMD: Because you like to._

_GHMD has signed off._

Cameron was preparing to go speak to House about their short conversation when she got a page regarding their current patient. It was 4 pm before Cameron returned to the office.

While she'd been gone, Wilson's predictions came true. Cuddy dropped into House's office a little after 3 and dropped a stack of papers on his desk. "There's going to be an investigation into Ezra Powell's death, conducted by the hospital, on behalf of the family. So I suggest you get your story straight." She told him, shooting him a stern look as she left.

"Oh goody." He muttered, flipping through the papers. After a brief glance through them, he knew it wasn't going to be good for Cameron. He propped his feet on his desk, steepling his fingers, he rested his chin on top of his fingers debating what this was going to mean for her, and as much as he wanted to deny it, what it was going to mean for him.

At 4 pm Cameron strode into the empty conference room. House's office was dark and the blinds were drawn. She stilled her motions and listened for a moment, checking to see if she heard music coming from his office. Nothing. _Guess he's skipped out for the day_.

She couldn't deny the flicker of disappointment she felt at her realization. She'd thought he'd still be here, she'd wanted to attempt to clear the air, put meaning to the quick conversation, in effect, she wanted to fix things.

She sighed, gave the room one last glance and grabbed a few files, deciding to check up on a few patients before she headed home.

"What, you weren't even going to say hi? How rude." A voice came, stopping her mid door pull.

She cursed herself for allowing the brief chill that ran down her spine at the sound of his voice.

She could either keep going or turn around. _Who're you kidding? You aren't leaving._ She sighed and turned.

He smiled at her expression. _That's my Cameron._ "What are you still doing here? It's 4, shouldn't you have left over an hour ago?" She questioned, knowing her words would elicit a rise of some sort out of him.

"Well, I was right in the middle of planning a very elaborate escape plan when Cuddy came in and spoiled all my fun." He retorted as he limped to the conference table.

Cameron followed him, a little confused by his words. "Cuddy's never exactly stopped you before." She pointed out.

He didn't say anything, just slid a file across the table to her.

He waited until she flipped it open. Her face went white and she lifted her eyes to meet his. "Busted." He whispered quietly.

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	5. The Plan

Why…. Just Another Letter In The Alphabet

Chapter 5: The Plan

Cameron felt her hands grow clammy and her skin went hot. She couldn't take just sitting there anymore. She jumped up from her chair and began a frantic pacing, her hands wringing, her eyes unfocused.

"What… What am I going to do??? I'm going to lose my license… I'll get fired. I'll never be able to practice again… Oh God…. They're gonna know… They're gonna figure out it was me. I was the only one here… I….I…" She trailed off as she, as if in slow motion, passed out.

House had watched her little breakdown go from mildly amusing to train wreck in less than 2 minutes.

He sighed heavily as she crumbled to the floor, passed out from the stress of the situation.

He shoved himself up out of his seat and went around to the front of his desk, snagging a chair with the handle of his cane. He pulled it up to where she'd passed out and sat down, seeing as he wasn't exactly able to kneel down and scoop her up.

After a moment, he leaned down and shook her shoulder.

"Cameron. CAMERON!" He said, raising his voice the second time.

Slowly she started to come around. Once she realized she was on the floor in House's office, she attempted to scramble into an upright position, only to have her shoulders pinned to the floor.

"Stay. You just passed out. Sit up too fast and it'll happen again. You're a doctor for God sakes, you're supposed to know that." He reminded her, holding her in place.

She did. So instead, she closed her eyes and focused on breathing, waiting for her body to return to its normal state.

He kept a hand on her shoulder, loosening his grip slightly, letting it relax to a (House cringed at the idea of his next thought) more comforting gesture. He'd never cared about someone being comfortable before…. At least not since Stacy.

His mind was racing, trying to tell him to move his hand, go back to his desk and not give a shit. He chose to shut out his mind. He closed his eyes and just listened to her breathe for a moment. She was balancing out. After another moment, he removed his hand.

"Get up." He told her. She slowly moved from the floor to his couch. She didn't say anything until she was seated. He got up and limped into the conference room, returning a moment later with a bottle of water, which he tossed to her.

"What do I do?" She asked quietly after a moment.

In his mind, there was only one solution, one thing that would save her from losing her license.

"We tell them I did it." He replied, his eyes not meeting hers.

Her eyes nearly came out of their sockets at this. "House, you can't. First of all, there's no one that can say that they saw you here last night. Two, even if they did buy it, you'll get fired and lose your license." She pointed out.

"You say fired…. I say extended vacation." He said with a careless wag of his head.

"This isn't funny House." She snapped, pinching the bridge of her nose.

He sighed but remained silent.

"They won't buy it. I was the only one of us on duty… You weren't here…" She trailed off.

He could see her slowly sinking into her little hole of depression when an idea struck him.

"It doesn't make sense. Why would you be here? Plus, you coming forward, taking the blame… It would be too obvious. It won't work House." She pointed out.

"What if we could prove that you weren't in the room when the overdose occurred?" He asked after a moment.

She wrinkled her brow at him. "How can you prove that?" She questioned slowly, lost in his reasoning.

"Well, they can't prove you were in the room when he OD'd… So let's prove that you were with me." He suggested.

She might've been a doctor but that didn't seem to matter at that moment, seeing as she was terribly confused.

"I'm a little lost here… How are we going to do that?" She finally asked at last, feeling like a dolt for having to ask.

He saw the confusion on her face and rolled her eyes. "We'll tell them we're sleeping together." He said as he twirled his cane between his fingers, glancing up to catch her expression, satisfied to see a combination of shock and embarrassment there. Good old Cameron, he could always count on her predictability.

"Well, it's not as crazy as it sounds. Cuddy knows how you 'feel' about me and well, I like younger women. She'd buy it." House supplied her with the explanation he knew she'd be asking for.

"Why would you do that for me?" She managed to ask, at last she was able to form complete thoughts.

"I hate hiring people, and none of them will be as fun to look at as you are, and well, it'll make me look cool if the hospital thinks we're sleeping together." He replied blithely.

"How are we going to….?" Cameron trailed off as House moved from the chair to the couch to sit down next to her.

"Like this." He muttered, before covering her mouth with his own.

Her body jolted to life, humming as though it had just been woken up from years of sleep.

She struggled to keep her hands down but finally allowed one hand to rest on his arm. As for him, he had one hand on the side of her neck, holding her in place. His thumb traced light yet rough patterns on her neck as he kissed her a little harder, lightly nipping at her lower lip.

And just as quickly as it started, it was over. He pulled back and waited for her reaction.

Cameron was still reeling from his taste when he pulled away. She cleared her throat nervously. "Why…What… What was that for?" She finally managed to choke out.

"Gotta convince the little people." He replied with a jerk of his head in the direction of the hallway, the glass doors being the only barrier between them and the rest of the hospital.

Immediately Cameron reddened. A small smirk appeared on his face. "Embarrassed that you got caught kissing your boss?" He quipped, unable to keep the snark at bay.

She was quiet for a moment. "I want to keep my license, so if you think this will work, I'm for it." She said softly yet firmly.

"You just wanna do me."

So it's going to start picking up soon. Let me know what you think.


	6. A or B

FIRST: GO CHECK OUT MY PROFILE!! TOTALLY REVAMPED!!

SECOND: THE STORY IS MINE BUT THE PEOPLE AREN'T. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME. I'M SAVING FOR A PUPPY.

Why… Just Another Letter in the Alphabet

Chapter 7:Plans and Pretending

She was alone in the conference room, sitting at her desk in the corner, engrossed in her laptop when he came crashing through the door.

She glanced up at him. "We'll go with Plan B." He told her before disappearing into his office to stew about his new 'situation.'

Cameron breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe this would work. Maybe they'd be able to save her job after all.

After a few moments of digesting their new scheme, she got up and made her way to his office.

She pushed the door open with no hesitation, and quickly made herself comfortable in his guest chair.

"I don't seem to recall you knocking." He said pointedly.

"I don't have to. I'm your girlfriend now, remember?" She reminded him, a small but sly smile on her face.

"Look who got a sense of humor." He snapped back dryly.

She sat back in her chair, raking a thorough gaze over him. He responded by cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Picturing me naked? Don't worry, I'll exceed your expectations." He told her, seeming to be back to his old self.

"I'm sure you will… Now, about this situation…" She trailed off, waiting for him to inform her of his thoughts.

"You've pictured me naked? Not that I'm surprised… I'm just shocked that you admitted it. Bold." He told her, sounding entirely unsurprised by her revelation.

"Yes, but back to the situation. What's next?" She asked, praying he knew.

He reached to the side of his computer and pulled out the 5 inch stack of paperwork Cuddy had given him. He slid it across the desk to her.

"What does all of this say? Did you read it?" She asked, flipping open the file, thumbing through the papers.

"I glanced at it. Figured you could do the reading, tell me what I need to know. I think we have to fill out some stuff, statements, dates, times, meds, dosages, ya know…." He told her with a dismissive shrug.

"I'm supposed to just pour through all of this alone? You're kidding right? There's a ton of paperwork here." She protested, finally looking up from the mountain of paperwork in her lap.

"Hey, I'm saving your job!" He protested, hoping that would buy him out of helping.

"At this point, I'm saving my own job and you're just along for bonuses you think you might get. No, I'm not doing this alone. I'll be over tonight. At 7. We'll go through it all together, fill everything out together. It's more believable that way." She informed him, her tone clearly indicating that there was no room for argument on this one. She stood, gathering the papers in her arms and starting to the door.

"I have plans tonight." He called after her.

"Yes. You do. With me. I'm getting the rest of the patient's files. I like Chinese." She replied, the door swishing shut behind her.

He picked up his phone and dialed Wilson's extension.

"My office is right next to yours." Wilson said when he picked up the phone a moment later.

"I'm crippled." He shot back.

"I'm busy." Wilson countered, initialing yet another patient referral.

"I have to cancel tonight." He confessed to the younger man.

"What!? Grave Digger's on tonight, it's supposed to be his biggest match ever." Wilson argued.

"The girlfriend's coming over to make me do paperwork." House snarked back, his tone full of sarcasm.

"You mean the paperwork that saves her ass? The paperwork that goes along with you being her savior? That's what you're referring to, right?" Wilson asked, his tone mocking.

"And I have to buy her dinner. She wants Chinese." House whined.

"Shut up and stop pretending like you're annoyed. You'll get the food. You'll help her fill out the paperwork while you watch Grave Digger. You'll have some scotch, she'll drink the red wine she'll bring, and you'll talk, then you'll walk her out to her car, she'll probably want you to kiss her, but you won't because you're you, so you'll make some smart ass remark and hurt her feelings. Then you'll come in tomorrow and complain about what happened last night. So just do me a favor and be different… Tonight, maybe already have the wine… Maybe, when you walk her to the car, don't be so brisk with her. Think about it." Wilson suggested.

"What sort of crazy oncologist are you? You have to stop living vicariously through me. Get your own life." House told the man before hanging up.

He stared at the clock. It was 6:15. He fished his cell phone out of his pocket and scrolled through his numbers, hitting 'send' when he got to the right one.

"Yes, I need to place an order for delivery."

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	7. Plans & Pretending

FIRST: GO CHECK OUT MY PROFILE!! TOTALLY REVAMPED!!

SECOND: THE STORY IS MINE BUT THE PEOPLE AREN'T. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME. I'M SAVING FOR A PUPPY.

Why… Just Another Letter in the Alphabet

Chapter 7:Plans and Pretending

She was alone in the conference room, sitting at her desk in the corner, engrossed in her laptop when he came crashing through the door.

She glanced up at him. "We'll go with Plan B." He told her before disappearing into his office to stew about his new 'situation.'

Cameron breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe this would work. Maybe they'd be able to save her job after all.

After a few moments of digesting their new scheme, she got up and made her way to his office.

She pushed the door open with no hesitation, and quickly made herself comfortable in his guest chair.

"I don't seem to recall you knocking." He said pointedly.

"I don't have to. I'm your girlfriend now, remember?" She reminded him, a small but sly smile on her face.

"Look who got a sense of humor." He snapped back dryly.

She sat back in her chair, raking a thorough gaze over him. He responded by cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Picturing me naked? Don't worry, I'll exceed your expectations." He told her, seeming to be back to his old self.

"I'm sure you will… Now, about this situation…" She trailed off, waiting for him to inform her of his thoughts.

"You've pictured me naked? Not that I'm surprised… I'm just shocked that you admitted it. Bold." He told her, sounding entirely unsurprised by her revelation.

"Yes, but back to the situation. What's next?" She asked, praying he knew.

He reached to the side of his computer and pulled out the 5 inch stack of paperwork Cuddy had given him. He slid it across the desk to her.

"What does all of this say? Did you read it?" She asked, flipping open the file, thumbing through the papers.

"I glanced at it. Figured you could do the reading, tell me what I need to know. I think we have to fill out some stuff, statements, dates, times, meds, dosages, ya know…." He told her with a dismissive shrug.

"I'm supposed to just pour through all of this alone? You're kidding right? There's a ton of paperwork here." She protested, finally looking up from the mountain of paperwork in her lap.

"Hey, I'm saving your job!" He protested, hoping that would buy him out of helping.

"At this point, I'm saving my own job and you're just along for bonuses you think you might get. No, I'm not doing this alone. I'll be over tonight. At 7. We'll go through it all together, fill everything out together. It's more believable that way." She informed him, her tone clearly indicating that there was no room for argument on this one. She stood, gathering the papers in her arms and starting to the door.

"I have plans tonight." He called after her.

"Yes. You do. With me. I'm getting the rest of the patient's files. I like Chinese." She replied, the door swishing shut behind her.

He picked up his phone and dialed Wilson's extension.

"My office is right next to yours." Wilson said when he picked up the phone a moment later.

"I'm crippled." He shot back.

"I'm busy." Wilson countered, initialing yet another patient referral.

"I have to cancel tonight." He confessed to the younger man.

"What!? Grave Digger's on tonight, it's supposed to be his biggest match ever." Wilson argued.

"The girlfriend's coming over to make me do paperwork." House snarked back, his tone full of sarcasm.

"You mean the paperwork that saves her ass? The paperwork that goes along with you being her savior? That's what you're referring to, right?" Wilson asked, his tone mocking.

"And I have to buy her dinner. She wants Chinese." House whined.

"Shut up and stop pretending like you're annoyed. You'll get the food. You'll help her fill out the paperwork while you watch Grave Digger. You'll have some scotch, she'll drink the red wine she'll bring, and you'll talk, then you'll walk her out to her car, she'll probably want you to kiss her, but you won't because you're you, so you'll make some smart ass remark and hurt her feelings. Then you'll come in tomorrow and complain about what happened last night. So just do me a favor and be different… Tonight, maybe already have the wine… Maybe, when you walk her to the car, don't be so brisk with her. Think about it." Wilson suggested.

"What sort of crazy oncologist are you? You have to stop living vicariously through me. Get your own life." House told the man before hanging up.

He stared at the clock. It was 6:15. He fished his cell phone out of his pocket and scrolled through his numbers, hitting 'send' when he got to the right one.

"Yes, I need to place an order for delivery."

REVIEW PLEASE


	8. Paranoia & Dating

Why…. Just Another Letter In The Alphabet

Chapter 8: Paranoia and Dating

As Cameron drove home, she debated her course of action. She was going to change, freshen up, but she figured it would be best if she stopped there.

He'd make fun of her if she went much past that, so going the simple route with him was often the best way to go.

She entered her house at 6:15. She fed her cat Snickers and then headed off to change. She pulled out her favorite pair of faded, worn and torn Levi's, mostly because they actually gave her the appearance of an ass.

She was thumbing through her T-shirts, looking for an acceptable one, when she came across the T-shirt he'd bought her at the monster truck rally they'd gone to. She'd tossed it in the wash, shrunk it up a bit, put it away and forgot all about it.

She smiled a bit as she put it on. It fit perfectly, if not a little snug. She grabbed her black Converse low tops and headed off to the bathroom.

She scrubbed off her make up and applied moisturizer and a bit of concealer and mascara. She ran her straightener through her hair and left it loose around her shoulders.

She grabbed her black aviator sunglasses, black NY Yankees hat and her purse, and headed to her car.

He pulled up on his bike at 6:45. The Chinese delivery guy was standing at the front door knocking.

"I'll take it." He said, limping up to the man, a plastic bag hanging on his arm.

"Do you live here?" The young man asked.

"Are you new?" House countered, jingling his keys in front of the door. The boy went to hand him his food when House stopped him.

"No, wait. I'll shut the door, you wait a second, knock, the door will open, then you'll know who lives here." House told the young man sarcastically.

The kid held out the food. House snatched it, throwing him a 20 and slamming the door. He turned on his oven to 'Warm' and set the food inside. He pulled the wine out of the bag he'd been carrying and set it out.

He surveyed his apartment and sighed. He knew he'd let the mess go on too long. He worked through the room, gathering his stuff, throwing away empty take out cartons, tossing his clothes into the laundry room. 10 minutes later, it was presentable. Not perfect, but certainly presentable.

Cameron pulled up outside his house and took a deep breath. She'd been there before, but never for this kind of visit. She smoothed a hand down her thigh and gathered the stack of paperwork and bottle of wine on her passenger seat.

She stepped out of her car and headed up the walk. She knocked on the door and waited.

He wasn't sure what he expected when he opened the door, but regardless of what it was, the image in front of him was ten times better.

She stood in all her youthful glory, in a pair of faded, worn jeans, riding low on her hips. About half an inch above the waistband of her jeans was the hem of her shirt. Her Grave Digger shirt. She wore black Converse on her feet. Her hair was hanging down her back, covered by a Yankees hat, and aviator shades covered her eyes.

"You know, maybe this whole dating thing wasn't such a bad idea." He choked out, standing back to let her in.

She smiled and stepped through, feeling his eyes on her.

"Since when do you have an ass like that?" He blatantly asked, half in curiosity, half just wanting to fluster her. But it didn't work.

"Since I bought these jeans." She shot back, sashaying into the kitchen, wine in hand.

"You don't need that." He said, gesturing to the cheap wine in her hand. He pushed his bottle towards her.

"This is a 30 dollar bottle of wine!" She exclaimed.

"Well, dinner's not exactly gourmet, so this should make up for it." He replied, handing her a glass as he pulled the Chinese cartons out of the oven.

She uncorked the wine and poured herself a glass. Then she grabbed a small tumbler and reached for the scotch at the end of bar. She poured him a glass. "Thanks." He said, watching her. _Yeah, this was definitely the right choice._

They sat down and soon began going through paperwork, filling out the required information, syncing up their stories for when the case went before the board. All too soon it was 10:30.

"I think I better go." She said through a yawn as she stood up. He nodded and started to say something, but she lifted her arms over her head and stretched, arching her back provocatively as she did so. He watched her body move, it was smooth, effortless. _God I love youth._

His eyes scanned the curve of her spine, the slight swell of her hips, the crest of her ass… The way her chest strained against the shirt… He swallowed and stood.

"I'll walk you out." He told her. She smiled and grabbed all the stuff, shoving it into her black case.

They walked in companionable silence. All too soon, they'd reached her car. She tossed the stuff in the back seat and turned to face him.

God, he felt like he was in high school all over again. "So, thanks for helping me out." She said, starting it off

He nodded mutely. She sighed and turned back to her car, but he grabbed her arm. He turned her back to him and brought his lips crashing down on hers. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling herself up a bit, pushing her lips harder into his, she soon found herself trying to slip him the tongue.

He gladly obliged and angled her up against the car, his body pinning her in place. His hands gripped her shirt, his fingers brushing up against her skin.

A moment later, they both broke for air.

"What… What was that for?" She asked, panting a little.

He smiled in smug satisfaction. "Wilson said not to be brisk with you. And they might be watching." He said. He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. He backed up from her and started towards the house.

"Wait! Who are 'they'?" She called out.

He smiled at her question. "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you!" He shot back before shutting the door.

OK So there you go!!


	9. Bikes and Cuddy

Why… Just Another Letter in the Alphabet

Chapter 9: Bikes and Cuddy

Cameron was a bit on edge the next day. He'd kissed her… He'd kissed her like he meant it.

_Maybe he had… Awfully hard to fake a kiss like that._ But she chose not to get too far ahead of herself. This was still House she was dealing with.

_At least it's Friday…I have the weekend to figure this out._ She pulled out her favorite trouser jeans and paired them with a clingy black tee and her black pointed toe boots. She brushed out her hair and let it hang loose down her back. The slightest hint of makeup completed the look.

She grabbed her bag and glasses and headed out the door. She locked it behind her and accidentally dropped her keys.

She bent to pick them up and heard a loud whistle. She whirled around, slightly red faced and House and his bike came into view.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as she started down the stairs.

"I'm doing house calls now. I feel like they're much more personal, don't you?" He snarked back.

By this point, she'd pretty much become immune to his acidic tone so she just rolled her eyes.

Without saying a word, he took her briefcase from her and handed her a helmet.

"Thought it would be more believable if we rode in together huh?" She questioned as she slipped the helmet on and he secured her case with his.

He nodded. "That and I know how much you like to sit on my hot ride." He replied, all traces of sarcasm gone.

_Thank god for the helmet!_ She was thankful the bulky helmet hid her face, because she was sure it was bright red.

He climbed on and started up the motor. She couldn't deny the small chill that ran up her spine. She'd never admit it, but the bike was a big turn on for her. She did like riding with him.

She got on after him and secured her arms around his stomach and a moment later, he gunned it and they headed off for the hospital.

The ride ended all too soon for Cameron, as they pulled up less than 15 minutes later.

She got off first and he watched as she pulled the helmet off and shook out her hair. He watched openly and with a devilish look in his eye. There was absolutely no doubt about it. He liked what he saw.

He got off and undid their briefcases. She took them while he carried the helmets.

"You know, I really didn't believe it… But… It actually looks like they're together… I think I was wrong." Cuddy mused from her window as her and Wilson watched House and Cameron's interaction.

"It really wasn't that big a surprise for me… He's always thought she was hot… And you know she'd never tell him no." Wilson pointed out, playing right along.

She nodded her agreement. "I guess it's not too unconceivable…" She lamented, her eyes looking off into the distance.

"I have to get going. I have an appointment." He said a moment later.

She smiled and nodded.

"We aren't going to have to hold hands, right?" He asked as they started into the building.

"You just say things like that to get to me. You know we aren't going to do that." She countered as she opened the door and he grabbed it from her, nodding his head towards the entrance, indicating that she should go in first.

She said nothing and walked through the door. He followed behind her and they headed for the elevators. He saw Cuddy coming from the corner of her eye.

"Incoming." He whispered, leaning in the slightest bit.

Cameron did well. She didn't flinch or anything. "Dr. Cameron. House. Going up?" She asked as she came to a stop next to them.

"I hope to one day but I think I've broken 1 commandment too many." House responded sarcastically.

Cameron smiled a little at this as the three of them stepped onto the elevator.

"So when did…. This… 'relationship' thing begin?" Cuddy asked genially.

"None of your business." House snapped, keeping his eyes forward, playing his part well.

"House…." Cameron warned in a low voice. Then she turned to her superior.

"About two months ago. We haven't really told anyone… Well I haven't… He told Wilson though." Cameron said, her voice sounding completely normal.

"Good for you. Sounds like you're happy House." Cuddy responded, directing her words at House.

"Thanks Mom. Glad you approve." He shot back as they stepped off the elevator.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at his snarky response. "Listen. I know it's short notice, but there's a benefit tomorrow night, for the new pediatric wing. I haven't had many department heads who are willing to go… So I need you to go House. Bring Cameron along." Cuddy suggested.

"I don't deliver babies." He retorted with a snort.

"I don't care. You've been shirking your clinic hours and I know you're sending your staff down to do the ones that do get completed. You can do this. You are doing this." She warned him as they made their way to his office.

She didn't even give him a chance to respond before turning and heading off.

They walked into his office in silence. He sat down in his chair and spun around to face her.

"She's not buying it. She's trying to out us." He stated, his tone serious.

"Which is why we have to go." Cameron said as she sat down across from him.

"She wants us to be exposed to the whole hospital. Everyone will be watching. And then they'll watch us here. Then people will start inviting us to do things. We'll have to double date…" He said with a dramatic sigh.

"Now who's paranoid?" She commented with a cocked eyebrow.

SO MORE ON THE WAY


	10. Benefits and Schematics

Why… Just Another Letter In The Alphabet

Chapter 10: Benefits and Schematics

Cameron would never admit it to anyone, but she loved dressing up. Loved it in a way that would be a bit embarrassing if anyone found out.

The entire day, anytime she wasn't administering medication or running labs, she was thinking about what she was going to wear.

Lunch rolled around and she had just finished charting some information on their current patient. She rolled the door shut behind her and slapped the chart closed. Her stomach growled just as she started down the hall.

A moment later, just as she was passing House's darkened office, a hand snatched out and grabbed her arm. The strong hand quickly dragged her into the dark room.

"You could just ask me to stop in. You don't have to molest me." She told him once he let go of her arm and locked the door behind him.

"You're just saying that because you want me to molest you. That's for later. We have to talk about this banquet thing." He told her as he headed for his desk, Cameron following behind him.

"What's there to talk about? We have to go." She told him, settling down in the chair across from him, crossing her legs.

"I'm aware. Make sure you get our story straight. And wear something low cut." He suggested, his eyes boring holes into her, sending a little chill down her spine at being ogled so blatantly.

"Why just me? This was your idea. You have to help." She protested.

"I don't tell stories, especially not relationship stories. That's why." He told her, his eyebrows raised as he explained.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't deny that he was right, much as she hated to admit it.

"Fine, whatever, I'll figure it out." She said at last, the words coming out as she stood and headed to the door.

"I meant what I said about low cut!" He called to her, his voice following her into the hall.

Later that afternoon, Cameron was doing some charting at the back desk when loud rap on the desk nearly sent her flying out of her chair.

She looked up at her cranky boss with raised eyebrows. "I'm ready to go." He told her, his voice slightly whiny.

"I'm not done with YOUR charting." She told him, turning back to the files in front of her.

"So, bring them." He suggested, tapping his cane impatiently.

"I don't-" She started to protest but he interrupted.

"To my house. I'll do my share, and we'll eat and discuss strategy or schematics, or whatever other fancy word works. I like schematics, don't you?" He taunted.

She rolled her eyes. "Give me 5 minutes." She said, turning to her computer.

"I'll be impatiently waiting." He shot back and headed to his office to pack up his things.

The second he was out of eyeshot, she let the grin show. She couldn't help but think that maybe he didn't just want to help with charting or talk about their "big night"… She couldn't help but think maybe he just might not hate spending time with her. And truthfully, that's as far as she'd allow her thoughts to go, because any further and she risked setting herself up for a big disappointment.

She grabbed her bag and headed to his office. The door was open and The Who was playing at an obscene level. She had to grin. There was nothing quiet about the man.

His case was packed and sitting beside the desk. He was in his chair, feet up and head against the back of the chair. His eyes were closed as he listened.

She leaned her slender frame against the door and waited for him to realize he was being watched.

A moment later, he cracked an eye and saw her. "Stop ogling me. It's demeaning." He said as he leaned over and flicked his iPod off.

"Please, you'd pay a woman to ogle you." She retorted, impressed with herself for coming up with something as quickly as she did.

Apparently, so was he. "You've definitely been hanging out with me too long." He commented as he passed by her, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was looking down her shirt when she bent to grab his case.

"Hey! I can look. We're together remember? They expect me to look. I'm supposed to look. It would be weird if I didn't look." He defended, clearly enjoying the mixed look of shock and… Something else… He couldn't quite put his finger on it… And he wasn't entirely sure if he liked that.

They headed towards the door, him a step behind her. "Better get used to it, won't be too long and I'll be grabbing your ass." He told her just as they stepped out of the office.

He just barely caught the blush on her cheeks before Wilson appeared.

"She believes you. I don't believe it, but she does." Wilson said as he walked with them to the elevator.

"She's making us go to the benefit tomorrow night. She says she needs people but really, she just wants to expose us." House shot back sarcastically.

"You're self involvement has reached monumental levels." Wilson observed as they stepped into the empty elevator.

"Thank god I wasn't the only one who noticed." Cameron piped up with a small grin.

"Sassy not that you're dating me huh? Figures." House replied as he rolled his eyes, but he couldn't deny that her snappy comebacks weren't even a little appealing.

"We have to go, work to do." She told House as they reached the garage, Wilson and House lagging behind, chatting.

"I gotta go, she'll spank me if I don't hurry up." House told Wilson, crossing both fingers as he stepped away.

"I saw that!" Cameron yelled in a mock angry tone.

"God I love when she yells." House said with a tone in his voice Wilson hadn't heard in a long time.

He watched his friend and his fake girlfriend walk away. _If I didn't know better… I'd say that wasn't so fake…_

OK SO THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE THEIR SECOND EVENING ALONE

WHEN THINGS GET A LITTLE…. OUT OF HAND… AND THE BIG BENEFIT


	11. Domesticity and Rational Thoughts

Why… Just Another Letter in the Alphabet

Chapter 11: Domesticity and Rational Thoughts

She pulled her helmet on as he turned his bike on. She had to admit, she loved the sound of the bike roaring to life. It was more than a turn on, it was downright hot.

He got on and gave her a brisk nod, indicating she could climb on now.

She threw her leg over and pulled herself up. She settled down behind him, her chest against his back and wrapped her arms around his waist.

For just a few seconds, he allowed himself to enjoy the feeling of having her pressed and wrapped around him. It wasn't often that he got to feel that way.

They sped off, the wind whipping through her dark brown hair. She closed her eyes and squeezed a little tighter, letting the feeling of the cool wind and his warm body wash over her.

They pulled up to his house and she slowly climbed off, a new feeling, apprehension, was taking over. _What's going to happen? Will he kiss me again? _

She shook her hair out and unfastened their cases, trying to put the thoughts out of her mind.

He headed up the walk with Cameron following behind. He let them in and headed to the living room to prop up his leg. She assumed this was probably part of his daily routine.

She deposited their briefcases in the living room and went to work in the kitchen, scouring for food. She was pleasantly surprised to find the cabinets weren't as bare as she'd thought they would be.

She found a package of spaghetti noodles in his pantry. After a little more digging, she came up with sauce.

She dropped the noodles in water and moved to the fridge, finding a bag of salad in there. She grabbed it, along with a few other items, including a loaf of frozen French bread in the freezer.

20 minutes after he'd sat down, he began to smell something coming from the kitchen. Something that smelled suspiciously like food… Which meant Cameron was cooking for him.

He grabbed his cane and headed to the kitchen, stopping short when he saw her moving around his space so… freely. It was like she belonged there. When he digested that thought, he expected to feel disgusted, upset, something… But instead, there was the smallest part of him that wasn't _so_ opposed to her being around, cooking for him, maybe a little laundry…

"I hope you don't expect me to put out just because you're cooking." He announced from the doorway, swatting away all those… _feelings._

She looked over at him. "Well, guess I'm eating alone then." She replied with a soft sigh.

He strode over to the pot, sticking his pinky finger in the cooking sauce, bringing it to his mouth.

"Hmm… Maybe I'll eat. But I'm not sleeping with you-" He started as she shoved a piece of bread in his mouth, cutting him off.

He chewed, savoring the taste, not realizing bread could taste like that. "Ok, maybe we'll fool around later." He said as he headed back to the living room.

Half hour later, she brought the food to the living room and set his plate on the coffee table in front of him.

She moved towards the chair, intending to eat off her lap but he moved his legs and scooted down. She knew it was an invitation. She also knew that making a big deal over it would be a bad idea.

So she sat down next to him and didn't say anything. He flipped on the TV and turned it to SOAPNet.

He was so engrossed in his show that he barely noticed her scooping up their plates and cleaning up.

He briefly entertained the notion of getting up and helping her. But he realized how drastically out of character that was, and decided against it.

She returned and they quickly began to work out their "story".

"House! I am not telling people we had sex on Cuddy's desk!" She protested, unable to keep the laughter out of her voice.

He was sitting up, pouring himself another scotch. "Seems like something I'd do." He argued.

"But I wouldn't." She shot back, taking a sip of her wine.

"Oh… I don't know about that…. You're too straight laced to not be a little kinky in bed. Wanna show me? I'm a visual person." He goaded.

She rolled her eyes and made an alternative suggestion. "How bout we were working late and we went to dinner. I paid, because you don't. You gave me a ride back to my car and… I don't know… Told me to be ready the next night at 8?"

He thought for a moment. "What if we tell people we had sex on the conference table? That's your domain, right?" He responded.

"House! We do need to come up with an actual story." She reminded him.

"All I need is to know it, not come up with it. But your idea works I guess." He gave in, obviously disappointed he couldn't convince her to lie about sex on Cuddy's desk… Sex on the conference table… Sex anywhere, really.

"So we're on the same page then. Good." She replied, satisfied with his response.

Before he could say anything, she was on her feet and gathering up her things. _This is where I'm supposed to do something…_

His eyes followed her to the kitchen as she dropped off the empty glasses.

She quickly rinsed and cleaned the glasses, then grabbed her coat and bag off the table and turned, only to come face to face with House.

"You have a problem." He stated very matter of factly.

She cocked an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to explain.

"How are you going to get home?"

_Damn it!_

"I… I was going to call a cab." She said feebly.

"No you weren't. If you were planning to do that, you would have done it already. You forgot that I drove us, and now you want me to take you back." He told her.

"Not a problem, I can call a cab." She replied, starting to walk by him.

His cane stopped her as he quickly braced it against the doorframe.

"Or you could stay." He said, his voice low and in her ear.

His closeness froze her in place. His breath raked across her ear, sending little shivers down her spine. She faced straight ahead, House on her left.

He reached out and took a piece of hair between his fingers. He tugged it a bit, trying to get her attention. "Cameron. Look at me."

She turned her head and met his gaze.

His vibrant blue eyes were boring holes into her. He dropped the hair and his hand settled on her lower back, nudging her towards him.

She gulped, feeling incredibly nervous all of a sudden. She felt his fingers tighten on her hip, pulling her closer, feeling powerless to stop him.

"Wh-What are you doing?" She questioned, cursing her voice for giving away her nervousness.

His lips curved into a small smirk. He liked that he made her feel like this. She was on edge, her eyes wide and her body jolted a little every time he moved his hand. He got to her. He got to her and he LOVED it.

He could've said something. Instead, he chose to act. He curled his hand around her waist and pulled her up against him, not giving her a moment to react before pressing his lips to hers in a heart stopping kiss.

Her body ached with desire as she felt his lips pressing insistently against hers. Her hands came up and rested on his biceps as both his hands came to rest on her lower back, his fingertips just barely brushing her ass.

His hands shifted and he gripped her hips, pulling her against him tighter. Her hands moved to his neck and she wrapped herself around him tighter.

She was clouding his senses, making it almost impossible for one, solid, rational thought to get through.

Almost. Finally, after several heated minutes, a rational thought wiggled it's way in.

He pulled back. "We should stop. This isn't a good idea. Not right now." He told her, extracting himself from her embrace.

Cameron felt the air turn cold as she moved away from him.

He turned and grabbed a set of keys. "Take my car home. Just come get me sometime tomorrow and I'll drive you to your car." He told her.

She nodded, she still hadn't spoken a word yet. He began to feel a bad about his attitude.

She grabbed her stuff and made it to the door. "Cameron." He called to her.

She turned, waiting for him to speak.

"Don't take this personally. It…. It has nothing to do with you." He told her finally.

"With all do respect, it has everything to do with me." She replied softly. With that said, she turned on her heel and left.

"Damn."

REVIEW


	12. Making Amends

Why….. Just Another Letter In The Alphabet

Chapter 12: Making Amends

House slept like hell that night. He tossed and turned through most of it, torn about the way the evening had ended.

Finally, at 8 am he swung his feet over the side of the bed and grabbed his pills. After dry swallowing 2, he picked up his cane and made his way to the kitchen.

He flicked his coffee on and headed to the front door to get the paper.

He threw open the door and squinted into the bright sunlight before reaching down to grab the paper. When he stood up, he noticed his car was back, parked in front of the house.

_Didn't I tell her I'd drive her back home…?_ He hobbled over to it when he noticed his keys attached to a small piece of paper underneath the windshield wiper.

He snatched it off and read it.

Greg-

I brought it back this morning before my run. Pick me up at 7. Don't be late.

A.C.

He felt an odd twinge when he realized she'd used his first name. She'd never done that before.

He was half tempted to crumble the paper up and throw it away but for some reason, he didn't. So he jammed it in his pocket and made his way back inside.

For her part, Cameron had been up since 6 am, trying her best not to think about the events of the night before. But she couldn't seem to keep her mind off of it. _Why does he have to make this so hard?_

Finally, she couldn't take it any longer. She couldn't just lie there anymore. She got herself out of bed and into her running clothes. She grabbed his keys off the table and headed out to the car.

She dropped it off at his house 10 minutes later. She glanced at his windows, looking for any sign of him. _I'm sure he's still asleep._ With that final thought, she'd secured his keys and the note and began her morning run.

Several hours later, she was finished with her work out and was standing under the warm spray of her shower, now feeling more than a little anxious about her upcoming evening. She knew it was important that people believed they were together… This was her chance, her only chance, to keep her job. And she knew the best thing to do in this situation would be to cooperate with House and get through the night.

She stepped out and toweled off, squeezing the excess water from her hair. She plugged in the blow dryer and got to work. She set her hair in rollers and carefully applied her makeup. As soon as she'd completed that and was satisfied with her appearance, she took down the rollers and styled her hair, pinning a few pieces back. She glanced over at the clock. It was 6:30. _He better be on time. _She grabbed her robe and headed to her room to get dressed.

She'd had the dress for awhile. It had been an impulse buy, one that she figured would come in handy eventually. She pulled it out of the closet. It was a long, strapless emerald green dress that draped elegantly over her curves. She slipped it on, the material cool against her skin. She pulled out the 4" silver stilettos she'd bought just in case she got to wear the dress. She grabbed her favorite perfume, sprayed it in a few select places and grabbed her purse and switched a couple of essential items into her silver clutch.

Then she pulled out the diamonds. Brian had bought her matching earrings, necklace and a bracelet as a wedding gift. She hadn't worn them much since then, as they stirred up quite a few memories, but for some reason, she wanted that feeling. Her memories of Brian were always good ones and she felt like she would need that kind of comfort tonight.

She fastened the diamond droplets in her earlobes and secured the necklace around her neck. The bracelet was designed like a braid and was her favorite piece. She ran her fingers over it once it was in place. Brian had always complimented her when she wore her jewelry.

_Flashback_

_Allison strode into the living room where Brian was waiting. They were going out to dinner for their 1 month anniversary. Brian had been feeling horrible the last few days but he had insisted they go out anyways._

_He glanced up from his position in front of the TV and his jaw dropped. "Wow Ally… You look… Amazing…" He breathed, taking in her little black dress and sparkling diamonds._

"_Thanks. But Bri, if you don't feel well…" She trailed off, still feeling a little bad agreeing to go out that night._

"_No, Ally, I'm feeling much better now… Besides, can't let those diamonds go to waste!"_

_End Flashback_

She smiled at the memory and caught the single tear before it even reached her cheek. "God Bri, I wish you were here, I wish I was doing this with you.… If you could just see me…"

A moment later, the bell rang. "Show time." She muttered, grabbing her clutch and patting her hair into place one last time before heading to the door.

He was nervous. He was appalled at himself for being nervous but that did nothing to stop his nervousness. _This is just a woman. A woman you are pretending to date so she can keep her job. That's it._

Even that reminder did nothing to stop his turning stomach. He glanced at his appearance once before grabbing the keys to the corvette and heading out.

Twenty minutes later he was in front of her house, having an inner battle as to whether he should get out of the car and knock on the door or just honk the horn.

He sighed loudly. He knew he couldn't honk. He had been accused of a lot of things, but he'd never been accused of treating a woman poorly and he didn't want to start now.

He rapped on her front door a few moments later. He heard footsteps approaching the door. A second later, she swung open the door.

He was all prepared to make some sort of sarcastic remark but the words died in his throat. She was stunning. She wasn't just some woman he was pretending to date. She was… She was the most incredible woman he'd ever seen.

She was watching him watch her, which was making him increasingly uncomfortable.

He cleared his throat. "You look beautiful." He told her, his eyes on her the whole time.

She offered a small smile. "Thank you." She replied dutifully as she grabbed her wrap and purse and followed him out the door.

The ride over was quiet and tense. He could tell she was deep in thought over something.

"What's the matter?" He asked at last, not really even wanting to ask the question.

"Nothing that tonight won't hopefully fix." She replied quietly, her tone indicating her desire to end the conversation.

He knew how to take a hint. He'd made a mistake last night and now he was paying for it.

They pulled up to the hospital several minutes later. House got out and handed his keys to the valet. Cameron was waiting for him as he made his way to her side.

"Call me Ally." She instructed as he came to a stop at her side.

He furrowed his brow at her. "It's going to be odd if we're still calling each other by our last names since we're supposed to be dating. It's fine if we're on the clock, but when we're not, I'm Ally. You're Greg." She explained as she loosely tucked her hand into the crook of his arm.

"Ally?" He questioned.

"I've never been Allison. I don't feel comfortable with it." She replied tightly as they walked in the door.

He didn't get to respond because a moment later, people were on them.

The night went by quickly, Allison's story seemed to be working, people were buying it, much to her relief. They managed to get through most of the evening with very little interaction with each other. Dinner was served and eaten in silence.

After that, the dance floor began to fill up. He watched her as she turned her eyes to the floor.

"Did you and Brian dance?" He ventured, his voice soft and sincere.

She whirled on him, fully prepared to defend her dead husband. But the look in his eyes was serious. He was being genuine.

"Yes." Was all she said before turning her attention back to the floor.

He sighed heavily. He had to fix this. He had to at least attempt to make this better. He owed her that much, given his behavior the night before.

He hooked his cane on the chair and stood. He limped around her chair and held out his hand.

She glanced over when his hand appeared in front of her face. She looked up. _Oh my…. He wants to dance with me…_

"Can you even…" She trailed off.

"I can dance." He replied softly and gestured for her hand.

She slipped her hand into his and silently followed him to the floor.

They took a few steps onto the dance floor before he stopped and swiftly pulled her to him.

She felt his right arm wrap around her waist and he took her small hand in his left. His movements were careful and deliberate, he was trying not to limp as much as possible. She let him lead and allowed herself to move a little closer to him, breathing in his scent.

"Your necklace is beautiful." He told her, his voice gruff against her ear.

She flinched a bit under his words. She pulled back to look him in the eye. "They were my wedding gift from my first husband." The words were meant to be informative but came off as more of a challenge, as if she was daring him to badmouth her dead husband.

"He had great taste." He replied simply, and pulled her back towards him, not wanting to upset her further.

"I'm sorry." He whispered in her ear, the scent of coconut wafting off her hair and invading his nose.

Those were two words that definitely didn't come out of his mouth often, at least not sincerely.

"Thank you." She replied, her voice barely audible.

He felt a bit of relief course through him. _This is much easier when she's not mad at me._

He felt like the luckiest bastard in the room with Cameron in his arms. He knew people were watching, waiting to see if it was real. But at that moment, there was no need to try to prove anything. It was real.

REVIEW


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